The Wendy Williams Show

I was totally surprised when it was announced that Wendy Williams would be getting her own television talk show based on her radio show. I knew if it was as weak and frantic as her radio broadcast it was going to be short lived. She would become just another slightly famous person that mistakenly though they were interesting enough for TV.

Wendy Williams is an amazon. She's tall and thick (not fat but curvy). She wears large over the top wigs and tight dresses. Everything about her is big; her hair, her jewelry, her personality. If not handled properly all that is a disaster on camera. So she was going to need a skilled and competent production team. The talk show had a short test run to see if their was an audience for this kind of show. There must have been because it's broadcast all over the country and then reairs on BET at night.

Ok let me get to it. The Wendy Williams Show is actually good. Wendy is entertaining and I like listening to her deliver celebrity gossip. Her celebrity interviews, however, are hit or miss. I mean she's not Oprah so her guests aren't A-list celebs. She tends to have D-listers and reality TV personalities, but hey that's not necessarily a bad thing. She also has an "Ask Wendy" segment where the audience gets to ask her for personal advice. My only criticism of this part is the questions always seem fake or the person is trying way too hard to appear interesting and...well they're not. Producers get the participants in line. They are extras and should act accordingly.

Just like on her radio show, Wendy likes to eat and drink while broadcasting. She frequently has to pause and gather herself because she has food in her mouth. This would normally drive me up a wall, but somehow, and I'm not sure why, it comes across just like when I'm talking/having coffee with my friends.

Now my biggest problem with The Wendy Williams Show is the commercial breaks. During the "Ask Wendy" segments she often doesn't have time to talk with the participant, because she has to toss to commercial. I tend to flip through the channels while I'm watching this show. Every time I do a channel loop and get back to Wendy's show she's tossing to commercial again. They need to space the commercial breaks out better so they don't interrupt the show's flow.

So to my surprise The Wendy Williams Show is a success. It fills the niche left open by the end of The Ricki Lake Show. Just work on the commercial thing.

The Price of Beauty with Jessica Simpson

I should come out of the gate saying I am completely indifferent to Jessica Simpson. I know a lot of people find her annoying and a lot of people think she's spunky. I am not a fan of any one playing dumb to get laughs or attention, but Jessica is not one of the celebrities on my do not hire list.

The Price of Beauty is a new reality show on VH1 staring Jessica Simpson and her two friends, Ken Paves and CaCee Cobb. Jessica went to every talk show and magazine to promote the series. The first episode sent the three friends to Thailand to explore the cultures views on beauty and what length people will go to to achieve the ideal look. Jessica, CaCee, and Ken had massages, went to a temple and visited the Karen Hill Tribe to witness a young girl getting her first neck ring. The rings that will permanently elongate the girls neck. The number of rings signifies wealth and beauty.

The Price of Beauty is shot beautifully, and the subject matter is fascinating. So why are the ratings for this show so low? Because Jessica and Ken aren't at all interesting. Like when they were privy to meditate with a monk Jessica laughs throughout the session. Not cool or cute. Just when I thought Jessica was giving up her dizzy persona, I find that is not the case.

CaCee gets the least about of screen time, but is the only interesting cast member. She tends to look like she's paying attention to the local contributors as they speak, while Jessica looks bored and Ken just looks uncomfortable.

I LOVE the idea of this series but find it boring to watch. Price of Beauty should be about the various concepts of beauty the world over. But instead it's lets watch Jessica Simpson try to experience the beauty regimes of the locals with Ken and CaCee as back up singers. The viewer is supposed to find Jessica Simpson charming, funny, and relatable. And that is where they fail. I don't know if she can carry an entire show by herself, but I think the producers should consider fazing Jessica and Ken out and bringing CaCee forward.

Ultimately this show isn't horrible it's just not good. And that's disappointing because it has so much potential... and well... I would love to be a part of what The Price of Beauty could be.

NBC's Parks and Recreation

When i was a little kid I could tell you what TV shows were on at any given time of the day. I was a human TV Guide. But now that I have a DVR I have no idea at what time even my most favorite shows are on. However thanks to NBC, Thursday night is never a problem.

I have been a regular viewer of this "must see TV" for decades. I'm talking about shows such as The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, ER, A Different World, Family Ties, Will & Grace, Cheers, The Office, 30 Rock, etc. Whether it's comedy to drama NBC brings its A-game on Thursday (except when the Olympics are on).

April 9, 2009 Parks & Recreation aired as a new addition to NBC's Thursday night line up. Parks & Recreation is a mockumentary style comedy about the Parks and Recreation department of a small town's local government. The series stars Amy Poehler. I adore Amy Poehler. She is one of my favorite SNL actors. She is hilarious and smart and quick and charming and...She is a star. When I heard about this show I was thrilled.

Cut to me watching the pilot episode. Frown face. It was so bad. In a sentence, The show just wasn't funny. I was so disappointed. After one viewing I deleted P&R from my DVR and just knew it would soon be cancelled. Well I was wrong. To my surprise P&R was not cancelled but picked up for another season.

A few months ago I couldn't sleep. I signed on to Hulu (my favorite site) and P&R was one of the most watched series. I decided to give it another chance. I am so happy did. The show is, in a word, funny. The Park Safety episode is so good I had to write a blog praising it. This episode in particular was above and beyond. The writing was witty and the comedic timing was precise.

So if you have the time go to Hulu.com and catch a few episodes of my new favorite show.

TV is amazing. Now lets make it better.

I love watching television. It is my favorite things to do. I consider my TV and remote to be part of the family. I spend countless hours tuning in to everything from half hour sitcoms to made for TV movies to prime time dramas. A few nights ago I caught myself glued to the Home Shopping Network as Iman hawked her new line of leggings. It is this (borderline unhealthy) compulsion with the small screen that is why I have zero tolerance for crappy acting and mediocre writing. This blog is dedicated to discussing popular shows, actors, and networks; applauding TV at its best and pointing out ways a program can improve.